DISCLAIMER: I own none of the Pirates of the Caribbean Characters, save it be Diana. Everyone else goes to Disney

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Chapter 5: Confessions

Jack gazed at the starlit sky from the helm of the Pearl. He felt slightly guilty for being so harsh with Diana. He probably wouldn't have said half of what he did if he hadn't been so bloody drunk. It was a daft move, but anytime Jack was frustrated or troubled, he just gorged himself with rum to oblivion, hoping that the frustration would pass. However, it had only succeeded in making him more thoroughly aggravated.

'Why doesn't she just tell the truth? He thought angrily to himself. It would have saved him a whole lot of trouble.

'She's only afraid, that's why.' Said the annoyingly logical voice in the back of his head that he preferred to ignore. Jack, looking for a reason to be angry, recalled the evening gown he had bought in a crumpled heap on the chair.

'Ungrateful sniveling...." His thoughts trailed off onto more unpleasant things. Obviously the girl didn't care much about what happened to her, so he had taken matters into his own hands. Jack had slipped something into Diana's goblet- a dreaming draft. He had got it some two years earlier from India. The effects of the rare powder brought out the deepest thoughts and fears of the drinker during their sleep. More often then not, the drinker would be moaning more information in their sleep than under immense torture. In a mere two hours or so, Diana would be spilling out everything Jack needed to know.

'A bit cruel, though,' That irritating voice said. Jack quickly brushed the thought away. He was a pirate, one of the most feared pirates in the Caribbean. He wasn't going to let some girl make him go soft.

***

It was midnight. Jack slipped into Diana's room lithely. Moonlight poured into the cabin and rested on Diana's face.

'The moonlight definitely does her a justice'.... The pirate thought as he approached the side of her bead. The girl was breathing heavy. Sweat beaded her forehead as She moaned quietly; she looked utterly restless.

Dreamer's Draft 'S coming into play.

Pulling up a chair, Jack stared at her moon-kissed face. Her pleasantly curved lips and long black lashes were strangely appealing. Strands of stray hair fell on her face almost seductively. Jack was tempted to brush them away, but before he could really consider it, Diana gave a sharp cry, causing the pirate to jump.

"..Father!" She yelped helplessly. "Don't...go!"

"Diana..." Jack whispered, trying to tap into her dreams, taking them on the course that he required. "Diana, do you remember the tales of Wilhelm Rose?"

Diana's chest moved up and down with her harsh breathing, her body quivered.

"Aye." She whispered. "My Great, great, great grandfather." Jack raised his eyebrows. She had never spoken the sailor lingo; at least not in front of him.

"Remember." Jack repeated silkily.

"Wilhelm..." She murmured. "They're after Father because of....Wilhelm"

Jack noticed that there were tears mixed with the sweat of her face.

"Who?" He inquired, puzzled.

"The...the pirates are coming.... Don't...don't let them come." She recoiled her head, a look of dread on her face. "They've come to kill Father..."

Jack couldn't take much more of this. The poor girl was what he had though she was therefore must have had some terrifying experiences. It was hard to watch Diana recall some of the most horrific memories of her life, most of which had happened within the last month. He stood to go, but another cry from Diana stopped him.

"Father! Please...don't leave me."

Jack raised an eyebrow. Did she feel his presence?

"Father.... Don't go..." She groped her hand forward, Jack quickly taking it. Her grip was shaky and unstable. He protectively grasped it in both his hands.

"I'm here..." He whispered delicately.

"Why...." Diana began, a tear scarcely visible rolling down her damp cheek. "Why did you die....?.... Why did they have to kill you?"

Something tugged at Jack's heartstrings uncomfortably.

'Snow killed the poor girl's Father....' He thought bitterly.

"I'll always be with you." Jack said gently, assuming Diana was expecting an answer. "You may not see me, but I'm here..."

Diana's taut muscles seemed to ease. Her breathing relaxed, and eventually became regular. Jack brushed his lips across her hand and placed it tenderly on her breast.

"I love you..." Murmured Diana.

Jack's stomach did a flip-flop.

'She's talking about her Father. It doesn't mean anything.' He told himself firmly. He backed out of the cabin maladroitly. Groping his way up the stairwell, he tried to banish the sleeping face of Diana Rose. Too much. He wasn't supposed to feel sorry for the girl. The whole point was to get the information that she wouldn't relinquish. He should have just left after he got what he wanted.

'Stupid me.... Stupid, stupid me.' He scolded himself acrimoniously. In the past he had promised himself he wouldn't ever get too emotionally involved. Lovesick fools had often baffled Jack; he never understood why they would do anything or go anywhere for one dame. He liked not having to devote himself to one woman. He always imagined it would be dreadfully boring to stay with one person the rest of his life. Jack had never uttered the phrase 'I love you' to anyone. Nor had the phrase ever been said to him. He liked it that way. But for one anxious second in the moonlit cabin, Jack wanted more than anything for that simple 'I love you' to be directed to him. He had quickly expelled the thought at the time; He was being insensible. Never had he truly cared about how a woman felt about him, as long as she was satisfying enough, and he definitely didn't care now. But then again, Jack's stomach had never acted the way it did when Diana's lips uttered those exquisite words.

'Am I falling for her?' Jack asked himself in disbelief. 'Am I...in love?'